Can the Celts Pull it off?

A picture from a Celtics game

By Chloe B.

Celtics fans everywhere have been contemplating whether or not the Celtics going to survive this season.

From losing their head coach to trading their team captain, the Boston Celtics have been making some big changes. Doc Rivers coached the Celtics for 10 years, led them to many playoff appearances, achieving the 2008 championship title. Doc was very close with most of the players on his team. Now, Brad Stevens has taken over and is the new head coach for the Celtics. Senior Evan B. said, “This is a time for rebuilding. The Celtics are testing waters with a new coach.”

Paul Pierce, Kevin Garnett, and Jason Terry were all team players that were traded during this year’s offseason. Pierce upheld the team as captain and was also a 15-year veteran of the Celtics. Garnett played in five All-Star games out of his six seasons with the Celtics. Although Terry was only on the team for about a year, his three-pointers will be greatly missed.

Regarding the loss of some of the team’s most valuable players, freshman Claire B. said, ” It’s really disappointing. [The players] were really memorable for the team.” She added that she thinks the Celtics are going to go downhill this season.

Some students feel the opposite way. Freshman Matt K. said, “The Celtics had to get rid of Pierce and Garnett,” He added that they were getting too old. Although he feels that Pierce and Garnett had no high value left, Matt said, “The Celtics are still worth it.”

While the Celts may still be worth rooting for, they are missing a big part of the team: Rajon Rondo. Rondo plays point guard and is a very important factor for the success of the team. He injured his knee last winter and missed the remainder of the season. It is rumored that he may return for the start of the Celtics regular season games, but most likely will return in early December.

Junior Matt J. said, “[Rondo] will struggle at first but will get back into it shortly after his return.” He added, “When Rondo comes back the Celtics will start winning.”

Celtics fans can only hope for the best. The team has lots of new players with good skills, and although they are no Pierce or Garnett, they are going to try their best to bring the team to a championship. Fans believe that with the skills of the team and the various playing styles, the Celtics can achieve anything they want. They have won 17 championship games and won’t stop until they reach their goal. Remember- it’s all about 18.